Newtown boys starts fas, holds off Brookfield for first win of season

Updated 9:43 pm, Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Brookfield's Matthew Williams (12) and Newtown's Josua Houle (19) fight for the ball during the boys high school soccer game between Brookfield and Newtown high schools, on Tuesday afternoon, September 15, 2015, at Treadwell Memorial Park, Newtown, Conn. less

Brookfield's Matthew Williams (12) and Newtown's Josua Houle (19) fight for the ball during the boys high school soccer game between Brookfield and Newtown high schools, on Tuesday afternoon, September 15, ... more

Brookfield's Andrew Almeida (15) heads the ball over Newtown's Joshua Houle (19) in the boys high school soccer game between Brookfield and Newtown high schools, on Tuesday afternoon, September 15, 2015, at Treadwell Memorial Park, Newtown, Conn. less

Brookfield's Andrew Almeida (15) heads the ball over Newtown's Joshua Houle (19) in the boys high school soccer game between Brookfield and Newtown high schools, on Tuesday afternoon, September 15, 2015, at ... more

Newtown's James Cochrane (21) and Brookfield's Carter Birdsall (17) battle over the ball in the boys high school soccer game between Brookfield and Newtown high schools, on Tuesday afternoon, September 15, 2015, at Treadwell Memorial Park, Newtown, Conn. less

Newtown's James Cochrane (21) and Brookfield's Carter Birdsall (17) battle over the ball in the boys high school soccer game between Brookfield and Newtown high schools, on Tuesday afternoon, September 15, ... more

Brookfield's Austin DaSilva (10) chases the ball down in front of Newtown's Scott Martin (15) in the boys high school soccer game between Brookfield and Newtown high schools, on Tuesday afternoon, September 15, 2015, at Treadwell Memorial Park, Newtown, Conn. less

Brookfield's Austin DaSilva (10) chases the ball down in front of Newtown's Scott Martin (15) in the boys high school soccer game between Brookfield and Newtown high schools, on Tuesday afternoon, September 15, ... more

Newtown's Shane Cochrane (24) goes down after trying to take the ball away from Brookfield's Cairo De Sousa (8) in the boys high school soccer game between Brookfield and Newtown high schools, on Tuesday afternoon, September 15, 2015, at Treadwell Memorial Park, Newtown, Conn. less

Newtown's Shane Cochrane (24) goes down after trying to take the ball away from Brookfield's Cairo De Sousa (8) in the boys high school soccer game between Brookfield and Newtown high schools, on Tuesday ... more

Newtown's Michael Meyer (5) and Brookfield's Carter Birdsall (17) go up for the ball during the boys high school soccer game between Brookfield and Newtown high schools, on Tuesday afternoon, September 15, 2015, at Treadwell Memorial Park, Newtown, Conn. less

Newtown's Michael Meyer (5) and Brookfield's Carter Birdsall (17) go up for the ball during the boys high school soccer game between Brookfield and Newtown high schools, on Tuesday afternoon, September 15, ... more

Newtown's Shane Cochrane (24) eyes the ball as Brookfield's Cairo De Sousa (8) brings it upfield in the boys high school soccer game between Brookfield and Newtown high schools, on Tuesday afternoon, September 15, 2015, at Treadwell Memorial Park, Newtown, Conn. less

Newtown's Shane Cochrane (24) eyes the ball as Brookfield's Cairo De Sousa (8) brings it upfield in the boys high school soccer game between Brookfield and Newtown high schools, on Tuesday afternoon, September ... more

Brookfield's Marco Almeida (22) keeps Newtown's (11) away from the ball during the boys high school soccer game between Brookfield and Newtown high schools, on Tuesday afternoon, September 15, 2015, at Treadwell Memorial Park, Newtown, Conn. less

Brookfield's Marco Almeida (22) keeps Newtown's (11) away from the ball during the boys high school soccer game between Brookfield and Newtown high schools, on Tuesday afternoon, September 15, 2015, at ... more

Brookfield head coach David Lavery watches his team during the boys high school soccer game between Brookfield and Newtown high schools, on Tuesday afternoon, September 15, 2015, at Treadwell Memorial Park, Newtown, Conn. less

Brookfield head coach David Lavery watches his team during the boys high school soccer game between Brookfield and Newtown high schools, on Tuesday afternoon, September 15, 2015, at Treadwell Memorial Park, ... more

Newtown head coach watches his team play in the first half of the boys high school soccer game between Brookfield and Newtown high schools, on Tuesday afternoon, September 15, 2015, at Treadwell Memorial Park, Newtown, Conn. less

Newtown head coach watches his team play in the first half of the boys high school soccer game between Brookfield and Newtown high schools, on Tuesday afternoon, September 15, 2015, at Treadwell Memorial Park, ... more

Newtown's (8) crashes into Brookfield goalie () as he makes a save during the boys high school soccer game between Brookfield and Newtown high schools, on Tuesday afternoon, September 15, 2015, at Treadwell Memorial Park, Newtown, Conn. less

Newtown's (8) crashes into Brookfield goalie () as he makes a save during the boys high school soccer game between Brookfield and Newtown high schools, on Tuesday afternoon, September 15, 2015, at Treadwell ... more

NEWTOWN — In its second game of the year, the Newtown boys soccer team was determined to do something it didn’t do in its season-opener: Start fast.

And with two goals in the first 13 minutes, the Nighthawks did exactly that in a 3-2 win over visiting Brookfield.

“That was definitely a big part of the game,” Newtown’s Scott Martin said. “It got things going and got us excited, so I think it was a big part of the win.”

Newtown got just one corner kick on the afternoon, but the Nighthawks made it count in the sixth minute.

Shane Gattey sent the ball into the box with a fairly low liner, and Scott Martin was in position to knock it home for the early lead.

“We got a corner kick in,” Martin said. “I started at the middle of the box and I ran around and hit the back post and then I jumped up and volleyed it.”

Newtown kept its foot on the gas, rarely allowing Brookfield to get the ball out of its end of the field in the early goings, and soon took a 2-0 lead on a goal by Omar Rodriguez.

On the play, Paul O’Leary chipped a pass ahead to Rodriguez, who got to the ball just before the sliding Brookfield goalie and tapped it into the net.

“I just wanted to get in and move so it would open up the field,” O’Leary said. “I passed it to Shane, he hit it right back and I chipped it to Omar because he’s fast and he can do that.”

The Bobcats trailed by two goals twice in the game, but they nearly tied the score with five minutes remaining when a penalty kick was awarded to Austin DaSilva.

DaSilva went top right, but the shot struck the bottom of the crossbar and a rebound attempt was stopped by Newtown goalie Nicholas Bourgeois, and the Nighthawks held the Bobcats at bay until the clock expired.

“Brookfield is always going to be that cross-town rival for us,” Newtown coach Brian Neumeyer said. “They were going to come in fired up. We did enough today to garner a win, but we’re not as clean as we want to be.”

Trailing 2-0, Brookfield responded three minutes later when DaSilva scored from about 40 yards out with a beautifully placed ball to cut Newtown’s lead to 2-1.

“It’s just pure talent and my team has talent, and that’s what I was telling the boys at the end of the game,” Brookfield coach David Lavery said. “But that stuff there has to be your last resort. That stuff there has to be when nothing else is happening, and we should never put ourselves in that position where nothing else is happening.”

Newtown went back up by two late in the first half on somewhat of a strange goal. O’Leary dribbled in and his shot was deflected high into the air by a defender who went to the ground.

Somehow, the ball continued on net and fell right underneath the crossbar and over the line for the 3-1 lead.

“I was thinking of sliding it through, but no one was coming at me so I dribbled a couple people and Coach has been telling me to hit it,” O’Leary said. “I don’t know how it bounced up because I was on the ground, but I guess it was in the net.”

Brookfield’s second goal belonged to Sam Stueck, who scored from 35 yards away early in the second half, but Newtown (1-1) held onto the one-goal win.

The Bobcats (1-1) were dealt a tough blow when DaSilva rolled his ankle, and Lavery believes he’ll be out for “a couple of weeks.”

“It wasn’t a malicious challenge from Newtown. It was just a free accident,” Lavery said. “There are going to be different players playing against Pomperaug. People just didn’t play well enough. They’ll learn quickly.”